Darksong Rising (35 page)

possibility." Anna smiled, then pitched her voice toward young Kyrun, who was trying to

squelch a yawn. “Kyrun…would you like to come to Falcor when you’re older? If your mother

approves, of course.”

Kyrun offered a wide-eyed look, as if to say that he’d never considered the matter.

Anna laughed gently. “You have a few years to think about it.”

“You are headed. . . if I might inquire?” asked Lady Gatrune. “To Loiseauu... my holding at

Mencha,” Anna replied. “I haven’t been able to get there in more than a year, and I’m afraid

there’s more to be done than I’ll have time to accomplish.”

“Your holding?” asked Zybar.

“Mine." Anna smiled, feeling her face would drop off from all the semifalse smiles she had

already offered. “I received it from Lord Brill... in a manner of speaking, after his death...." Anna

went on to recount how she had gained the lands and the keep of Loiseau, careful to keep eating

between fragments of the story, knowing she would need the food and the energy in the days to

come.

31

As the sun cleared the eastern horizon, Anna stood on the portico steps and turned a last time to

Lady Gatrune. “Please keep an eye out for the chandler.”

“You have warned us, and Captain Firis will ensure we are well kept, lady. You must take care

of your own lands.” The rangy white-and-blonde-haired lady smiled. “And whatever else is

needful for Defalk and the Regency.” Her eyebrows lifted. “I will not pry, but knowing you, you

would not have come all this way with so many lancers merely to set your lands in order. Few

others would know, and I will not speak of it, but be there anything we can offer...”

"The provisions and the food and shelter and company were all very welcome.” Anna returned

Gatrune’s smile warmly. “What means the most to me is your friendship from the beginning,

when no one knew who I was.”

“That you have continued to accord us that friendship, after many more glorious in Defalk have

sought you... that, Lady Anna, is why you are Regent, and why we always look to your visits.”

Gatrune inclined her head. “May your journey prove fruitful.”

"Thank you. Thank you very much.” Anna leaned forward and lifted the cased Lutar, then turned

and walked down the paved way toward the stables. Jimbob, Kinor, and Jecks had already said

their farewells and were down readying their mounts.

Firis stood by Farinelli’s stall as Anna entered the stable, followed as always by her guards, this

time Rickel and Blaz. “Good day, Lady Regent.”

“Good day.” Anna replied, despite feeling slightly queasy. Early rising had always done that to

her, and being on Erde hadn’t changed that. She slipped into the stall and patted the gelding, then

slipped the blanket in place, followed by the saddle.

Farinelli whuffed.

“There are rumors, Lady Anna... that you might stray east of Mencha.” Firis looked at Anna as

she stood beside Farinelli. “I would that some of our armsmen—and I—might serve you again."

“Rumors are only rumors, Captain Firis.” Anna smiled, looking straight at the dark-haired Firis.

“I would like to take some of your armsmen, and you, Firis, but they might be needed here."

“Here?”

Anna nodded. “I have told Lady Gatrune. The chandler Farsenn has been trying Darksong, and I

do not think he will be friendly to any lord or lady. My sorcery cannot locate him, and the needs

of Defalk mean that I cannot remain here. Farsenn has been using Darksong to convert men to

follow him. If you weakened your force to strengthen mine..."

“A chandler?” Fins laughed.

Anna smiled gently. “Once, Firis, I was only a teacher.”

The dark-haired captain’s face sobered. “From any but you, Lady Anna, I would still laugh.

When you say such, my soul chills...."

“You have a task, Firis. It may not be glorious, but it remains solid and important.” She bent to

fasten the girths.

Fins laughed. “You would protect me from my own nature, yet again.”

“I just want you to protect Lady Gatrune.” Anna took the saddlebags from Blaz and eased them

up in place behind the saddle, tying the leather thongs quickly, but firmly. Then came the mirror

and lutar, heavier by far than the few garments she carried.

“I hear, and I will do so. Even with my life." After a moment, Firis added, “Not that I do not

worry about your adventures.”

“You can worry. Just keep Gatrune and the hold safe.” Anna checked the bridle.

After leading Farinelli out to join Jecks and the others— already horsed—Anna mounted and

offered a wave that she hoped would do for a salute and farewell before guiding Farinelli to the

head of the column.

“I worry about leaving them without dealing with the chandler,” she finally murmured to Jecks

as they approached the gate.

“You worry too much, my lady,” offered Jecks. “You have frightened off the chandler, and you

have warned the lady and her captain. As you said, you cannot be everywhere, and you have

determined that the eastern borders must be secured.”

“I brood. You know that, my lord Jecks.” And you know that jobs left undone are always worse

when they have to be done later or redone. Yet a relatively new Regent cannot kill even a

chandler—if you could locate him—merely for suspicion of Darksong—not without creating even

more unrest among the lords of the Thirty-three.

Anna squinted into the sun, wondering what she would find at Loiseau, hoping the mess would

not be too great, and that the staff had managed to keep things in some semblance of order. As

they passed beyond the gate, she inclined her head to Meris, the armsman who had first eased her

way into seeing Lady Gatrune and whom she’d failed to recognize a year later. “Take care,

Meris.”

“You, too, Lady Anna.” The older man smiled.

Anna glanced back at the house on the rise, hoping that she wasn’t making too much of a

mistake in leaving Pamr. Yet what can you do? You don’t know Defalk well enough to find the

chandler, and you can’t be away from Falcor too long, or Rabyn will have armsmen running

from the West Pass all the way to Falcor. You’re standing before two doors, and they both say

“damned.”

With a sigh, she pulled her floppy hat forward on her head to try to shield her eyes from the

morning sun.

32

OUTSIDE OF PAMR, DEFALK

Outside the small cot, the road is empty, and the dust of the riders has settled, long settled, before

the dark-bearded man goes to the window and opens the shutters just enough to peer between

them. “She has departed ... and left no armsmen behind to bother us.”

“They did not bother us. They did not seek us or leave lancers,” says Giersan. “Why would

they?”

“The sorceress has sought me in her glass. I have sensed that. Lady Gatrune’s lackeys have

inquired after us, but they did not find us.” The dark-haired Farsenn nods, almost to himself as he

steps back. “We have much to do... now.”

Giersan stares at Farsenn, almost disgustedly. “Why did we run this time? What excuse will you

offer?”

“I was not prepared. Nor were you.”

“When will you be prepared, 0 great master of Darksong?” Giersan snorts, rudely. “You have

promised and promised. I had thought I was the cautious one. She would have seen nothing. One

would think you were a mouse and not a sorcerer.”

“She had the lutar in her hand, and it was broad daylight,” counters Farsenn.

“She could come in daylight next time, or the time after."

“She rides eastward. She must ride back through Pamr to Falcor. My brother, we will ensure that

it matters not whether she comes in darkness or in full light. I have a plan. When she returns,

then we will be prepared... more than prepared."

Giersan raises his eyebrows, but says nothing.

33

 
After three long days of travel from Pamr, dust coated the lower legs of both riders and mounts,

and Anna had gone through three of her four daily water bottles by the time the bluish-tinged,

off-white walls of Loiseau appeared on the eastern horizon above the low houses of Mencha.

Even as Anna watched, the low sun at her back began to turn the stone parapets the sorcerer Brill

had once raised with his skills from blue-white to a rosy twilit color that spread above the late-

afternoon shadows.

Although almost a year had passed since Anna had returned the rains to Defalk, the road into

Mencha remained as dusty as Anna had recalled it when she had first ridden Farinelli around

Loiseau.

“Break out the banner!” Himar ordered. “Even up the column! Undercaptain Skent... bring up

your laggards!”

“Smerda, Bius... move it up!”

Anna smiled at the tone of firmness in Skent’s voice. Perhaps she had kept him as a page too

long. For his sake, probably... but he s young. Then... everyone does things young here. She

straightened herself in her saddle, recalling that she was the Lady of Mencha.

Small as Mencha was, more than a score of people watched, most smiling, some even waving, as

Anna rode through the dusty streets toward Loiseau. Their words were open, not at all hushed.

“See... did come back.. . and there’s the banner, sure as you can see..."

“Just a visit, Armal..."

“When... ever have a ruler of Defalk from Mencha…I ask you?”

“Rightly... is she ours?”

“Whose else? First place she came... almost like being born... stop asking foolish questions,